"I'm at a loss for words. There's a lot of emotion right now," Centennial head coach Steve Heredia said. "My guys played hard and did everything I asked them to do. It's a brand-new program, we're in our second year. And we'll take it."

Sophomore guard Cesar Molina won District 3-4A Player of the Year and said following the contest that the Hawks goal is winning a Class 4A State Championship. The State Tournament tips off next week, with district seedings being announced Sunday in Albuquerque.

"I try to win," Molina said of his approach taking the court. "I don't care about scoring points. I just try to help my team get better and win. You have to play for your time."

Molina strutted his stuff all over the court on Saturday. A second quarter spurt saw him score on a swooping layin, then go around his back and dish off to a teammate to set up another Hawks bucket.

The following possession saw Molina grab a loose ball and throw a long pass downcourt that led to more Centennial points. Moments later, his corner 3-pointer gave the Hawks a 36-25 lead.

"He's special man," Heredia said of his player's ability.

Still, the Wildcats found a way to hang around, mainly because of the scoring prowess of Dominic Saenz.

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The senior hit from deep 3-point range and some circus driving bank shots, as the Wildcats trailed 39-29 at halftime.

Saenz brought the hot hand out of the locker room as well, canning consecutive 3-point attempts - the second from well behind the arc - as Deming closed to 42-39 early in the third period.

But Heredia said the Hawks switched up their defensive gameplan against the Saenz, who would eventually go to the bench because of foul trouble.
That spurred a Hawks run - a fastbreak layin from Ricardo Garay, a three-point play by James Mulheron and a 3-pointer from Molina, as Centennial took a 56-42 advantage into the fourth quarter.

While Molina led the way with 24 points, Omar Baez and Aaron Okinga each scored 12. Centennial is 20-7 on the season and finished 7-0 in district play.